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HDMI 1.4 is the next big thing, namely because it brings with it support for 3D television as well as the Audio Return Channel, and Onkyo seems to be leading the charge with getting it rolled into their products and into the hands of the public. In fact, Onkyo just announced that their 2010 receivers, scheduled to start shipping this spring, will support HDMI 1.4. That’s just in time for some of that 3D TV and Blu-ray content to appear.

“We are very supportive of the new standard,” said Onkyo’s marketing manager Paul Wasek, “because of the added capabilities and the simplification of system connections.”

We are fans of Onkyo, and we are definitely looking forward to getting our hands on the new receiver line.

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Newegg has a great and inexpensive way for you to incorpate 7.1 surround sound into your home theater, with a great deal on the Sony STR-DN1000 7.1 channel receiver. It looks great with a piano black finish, and supports codecs like Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD MAster Audio, and lossless PCM. For visuals, you get 1080p playback with 24p support. The best part is that Newegg’s got it for $299.99. If you want to get in on it, head on over to the Newegg Sony STR-DN1000 page, add it to your cart, and use promo code “RECEIVER222” to take part in the festivities.

The unlocked iOrgaine F8 HiPhone combines TV and FM receivers, MP4 and MP3 playback, quadband GSM and Bluetooth connectivity. It also takes 2 SIMs at once and has a 3.5-inch touchscreen, preloaded software and a TF card slot with 1GB card included. The rechargeable 1800mAh Li-ion battery is good for 2.5 hrs. of talk time and 150 hours of standby. Pack that into a Meizu-like casing with an accelerometer and you have yourself quite a handy tool for $189.99.

Onkyo has just released a couple of new high-end THX Ultra2 receivers upon us all, in their TX-NR906 and TX-SR876 units. Both units feature 7.1-channel surround processing, four HDMI inputs, new THX Loudness Plus processing, XM HD, and the fantastic HQV Reon-VX upscaling processor. These bad boys will upconvert just about anything you throw at it to 1080p. In terms of audio, your got both units conservatively rated - the TX-SR876 is at 140 watts per channel, while the TX-NR906 hits you with 145 watts per channel. The TX-NR906 specifically is also Windows Vista certified, and supports digital audio devices (like the Zune) by way of its front USB port. You can also stream a bunch of audio formats on your local network to it, as well as streaming Internet radio, including SIRIUS iRadio.

Both models are available now. Suggested retail comes out to $1,799 for the TX-SR876, and $2,299 for the TX-NR906, but we are sure you can find them for a lot less if you do a little shopping around. Be sure to also hit up our Onkyo TX-SR906 image gallery.

Okay, the holidays are right around the corner. In our continuing effort to hook you up with the best gear, we had to point out the Onkyo TX-NR905. This is a product that has blown us away in our testing.

Let’s be clear - the Onkyo TX-NR905 A/V receiver isn’t the lightest device in the world, as it weighs in at 54 pounds - but that’s just about where the negatives end when it comes to this beast. This thing is like a classic Mustang - all muscle. You can throw anything at it - you know, HD DVD players, game consoles, TiVos, Blu-ray - and expect phenomenal 7.1 surround sound. And we mean pristine. Even better, the TX-NR905 bridges the gap between your entertainment center and the Internet by way of it’s Ethernet port. Hook up to the Internet, and you can stream Internet radio directly through this system. Moving on the picture quality - again, top notch all the way here. It will pump out 1080p signals, it supports 24p framerate, and has 2 HDMI outputs along with component out for your HDTV needs. Oh course, this thing is all about the sound. You get 140 watts per channel, and this is the most inexpensive receiver to feature THX Ultra2 certification. Believe me, if you haven’t heard it, you will be the envy of your block. Don’t worry though, you won’t be able to hear the complaints if you crank this thing up. Rounding out the feature set here, it will upconvert all inputs to 1080p, supports multiple zones, and also has HD radio built-in. Retails for $1,999. Compare prices on Onkyo TX-NR905.

After a couple of delays, Onkyo has finally announced that their flagship TX-SR905 and TX-SR875 7.1 surround sound receivers are now shipping. These are the first A/V receivers to include Silicon Optix’s Reon-VX HQV video processing chips, which provide the receivers with some fancy video scaling and deinterlacing capabilities, including upscaling of all video sources to 1080p for output over HDMI. All video sources are also upconverted to HD output via the units’ component video outputs to accommodate video displays lacking an HDMI input. You’ll find 3 HDMI inputs on the TX-SR9875, and four on the TX-SR975. Extra features on the 975 include built-in Ethernet for streaming Internet radio and network media, HD Radio receiver, and USB port for use with digital audio players and USB memory devices.

The Onkyo TX-SR875 is available for $1699 USD, while the TX-SR905 sells at $2099 - excellent prices for receivers that include THX Ultra2 mode.

Imagine if you will be able to send audio signal from one location in your house to six other locations in your house. Now keep imagining, imagine you could control each room individually. Now, imagine if each room could choose what it wanted to listen to. With a tuner, CD, Sonos unit that streams your PC audio or Television Audio you have an endless selection. I know it sounds like a nice dream, but it’s a dream Russound has made come true. They have this wonderful 6 inputs, 6-room audio distribution system using A-Bus technology. As one of the best selling multi-room audio systems, how could it get any better? Well the old CAV system has been replaced with the new CAM series. It features LCD keypads in every room, a built in tuner and your choice of AM/FM or AM/FM/XM. How easy is it to setup? Simple, cat5 runs from the distribution point to the keypads and speaker wire from the keypads to the speakers. What about noise from amplified signal being dragged across every light and electrical line in the house? Not to worry, there is none. Russound uses cat5 to get signal to the amplified keypads at 50watts per channel. I hope you are adding these things to my birthday gift list.